Latest news with #AER
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Group trying to get energy companies to pay more to clean up orphaned wells
A group of landowners is part of a coalition taking on the Alberta Energy Regulator. They've filed a challenge attempting to get the AER to charge energy companies a larger upfront levy to pay for the cleanup of orphaned wells.
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
A Calculated Conversation: When Entrepreneurs Meet Opportunity
Getty Images Jeff, the founder of J-Rock Company, had always known his firm was building something special. In the quiet blue ocean of specialized manufacturing consulting, his company stood tall—disciplined, trusted, and uniquely positioned. But even visionaries need a sounding board. That's why he called me. "Hey, Lewis," Jeff said. "I need some help. Have you ever heard of a private equity guy named John Byron or a private equity firm called AER? They joined forces with Gold Capital to buy out our main competitor, and now they're coming after us." I leaned in. "I don't know them personally, but tread carefully. Conversations like this—where someone says, 'We just bought your competitor and now we're calling you'—that's the beginning of a script I've seen too many times. And it doesn't always end well." 'Conversations like this—where someone says, 'We just bought your competitor and now we're calling you'—that's the beginning of a script I've seen too many times. And it doesn't always end well." Jeff nodded. He knew I wasn't just playing devil's advocate—I was issuing a caution born of experience. I explained that the capital markets were overflowing—$2.5 trillion globally, all in search of returns. "Firms are constantly reaching out to companies like yours. The danger is that confidence, which you've earned by building something great, can also cloud your judgment. It's easy to get caught up in visions of exits and retirements without realizing you're underprepared." Jeff smiled. 'I appreciate the timing, Lewis—really. We've got our first sit-down tomorrow night.' J-Rock, Jeff explained, had always kept a tight focus—serving manufacturing companies with revenues from $2 to $50 million. Their closest competitor, Three Bridges, had always been a respectful rival. But when Gold and AER bought Three Bridges, installed their own CEO, and retained the founder as president, Jeff realized something bigger was in motion. Now the same firm wanted J-Rock, and they weren't being subtle. Patty Grant, the new CEO of the conglomerate, was flying in to make the pitch personally. "They want us because of our licensing, team experience, and credibility. They even want me to take over consulting across the ecosystem—replacing John, who's retiring. I'm planning to go in and listen, not talk. No valuation numbers, no expectations. Just ears open." "Smart,' I said. 'But how much do you know about the firm? How have their previous funds fared? What's the schedule of the current fund? Do you know people who have sold to them or partnered with them?' Jeff didn't have any answers. 'I guess I'm not so prepared for this conversation.' 'Business owners rarely fully understand the game that is being played by private equity. These firms approach business owners knowing that a big number will do two things: get their attention and make them drop your skepticism, stop asking the hard questions.' I explained that business owners rarely fully understand the game that is being played by private equity. These firms approach business owners knowing that a big number will do two things: get their attention and make them drop your skepticism, stop asking the hard questions. As a first step, Jeff and I went over the questions Jeff could ask about the firm and their past performance. Afterwards, Jeff would have to check what they said about their performance against publicly available data. This was a good early test to see if they were honest or if they played games. But most of all, I cautioned Jeff to listen ten times more than talk. Don't offer up information, ask questions. Act like a buyer, more than a seller, since, as I explained, if a deal were to be struck, Jeff was buying into this firm's guidance and capabilities. Above all else, I told Jeff to go into this conversation assuming there would be no deal to be struck. Most of the time, I explained, when you are approached by a single suitor rather than running a formal company transaction process with years to prepare before going to market, the buyer was in a more advantageous position than the seller. But, I reminded, Jeff, the seller always has the power to walk away. I explained the following to Jeff: 'Just because you built a great company doesn't mean you know how to sell it. They buy 10 companies a year, you sell one company in your life. You are outmatched by a mile.' 'Just because you built a great company doesn't mean you know how to sell it. They buy 10 companies a year, you sell one company in your life. You are outmatched by a mile.' The next day, the meeting took place. Jeff followed up with me soon after. "The meeting went great," he reported. "Very high level, no deep numbers yet, but the intent was clear—they want us in the fold. And they want me at the helm of their consulting arm. Our research on their past deals checks out, and we're heading into NDA territory now." Jeff was optimistic. I was measured—this wasn't the finish line—it was the starting pistol. 'Next, they'll start asking for certain rights. You'll see a letter of intent from them soon. Have someone else who knows about these things read it alongside you. Because you're about to give them something —an exclusivity period—but they aren't giving you much back.' Jeff had never thought of it that way. Once again, he realized he was getting excited while I was telling him about dangerous pitfalls he was about to drop into. I reminded him. 'Jeff, this will work out fine if we just make sure we play our game, not theirs.' 'This will work out fine if we just make sure we play our game, not theirs.' The mentorship was clear: Listen more than you speak. Own your role in the process. And above all, don't let momentum become a substitute for strategy. Jeff had a big decision ahead—but thanks to his preparation, and a timely conversation with me, he wasn't going in blind. COOL TECH NOTE: I put this entire conversation into Google's NotebookLM and then asked NotebookLM to use the conversation to create a podcast between two commentators. I posted the entire conversation on Youtube. Check it out here.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
How much will power prices increase by next financial year? That depends on where you live
The Australian Energy Regulator's (AER) latest decision is set to see power prices rise for many people in three states. It announced what's called a Default Market Offer for the next financial year. Here's what it means for people in those three states — and what people in the rest of the country can expect. What's a default market offer? It's a cap electricity retailers can charge for power prices. Electricity retailers are the individual companies that sell power to homes and businesses — the company that sends you your power bill. But they don't generate the power they sell; they buy it from the wholesale market. The AER's default market offer (DMO) limits how much the retailers can increase their prices by to recoup their increasing costs. These companies might offer a range of different contracts or plans for power prices. But customers will typically be on a company's default plan unless they contact their energy provider and actively choose a different plan. DMO is a cap on how much companies can charge for that basic, automatic plan each year. "When advertising or promoting offer pricing, retailers must show the price of their offer in comparison to the DMO/reference price," the AER says. "This assists customers when comparing the price of different offers" The regulator officially announced the 2025-26 DMO yesterday, reigniting conversations about power prices and the rising cost of living. Does this apply to all states? No. While the AER sounds like it should be a national body, it only covers two-and-a-bit states: New South Wales New South Wales South Australia South Australia South-east Queensland "The DMO price does not apply in the ACT, Northern Territory, regional Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria or Western Australia because maximum standing offer prices in those regions are set by or under a law of a state or territory," the AER says. How much will my power bills go up by? That depends on which state you're in, which power company you go with and what plan you're on. So we can't give a definitive answer on that — but, by looking at the DMO figures, we can give you a general idea for the three states covered by the AER. Let's break it down state-by-state: Price changes will depend on where you live. That's because there's a cap for each distribution network, which is the system of power poles and wires that connect your place with power. Distribution networks are locationally specific, so you can't choose what distributor connects your place to power. Distributors are different to retailers, who just sell you power. There are three electricity distributors operating in the state: Most of regional NSW is on the Essential Energy network, which covers about 95 per cent of the state. AusGrid's area spans across Sydney, the Central Coast and Hunter regions. And Endeavour Energy Sydney's Greater West, the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and the Illawarra, and the South Coast. Residential customers without a controlled load*: Ausgrid distribution region: Increase by $155 Increase by $155 Endeavour Energy distribution region: Increase by $188 Increase by $188 Essential Energy distribution region: Increase by $228 Residential customers with controlled load*: Ausgrid distribution region: Increase by $208 Increase by $208 Endeavour Energy distribution region: Increase by $271 Increase by $271 Essential Energy distribution region: Increase by $280 * An example of a controlled load is metering for a specific device that can use off-peak power, like underfloor heating or off-peak hot water South Australia Residential customers without a controlled load*: Increase by $71 Increase by $71 Residential customers with controlled load*: Increase by $64 * An example of a controlled load is metering for a specific device that can use off-peak power, like underfloor heating or off-peak hot water South-east Queensland Residential customers without a controlled load*: Increase by $77 Increase by $77 Residential customers with controlled load*: Increase by $11 * An example of a controlled load is metering for a specific device that can use off-peak power, like underfloor heating or off-peak hot water When will these prices kick in? The DMO prices don't come into affect until the new financial year — so not until July 1. What about the rest of the country? Caps in the ACT are set by theIndependent Competition and Regulatory Commission. In a report also published on Monday, the commission estimated how much extra certain households would pay. Here's how much more the commission reckons people will pay: Small household: Annual increase of $125 Annual increase of $125 Average household: Annual increase of $214 Annual increase of $214 Large family household: Annual increase of $247 Northern Territory The Northern Territory's version of the AER is the Electricity Pricing Order. It sets regulated prices for retail customers consuming less than 750 MWh of electricity each year. This figure is generally the territory's treasurer, but you can find out more about it from the Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory. The commission's website only features the order currently in place, so it's unclear what changes people in the Northern Territory can expect to see on their bills yet. Tasmania Tasmania's version of the DMO is generally referred to as a standing offer. And this is set by the Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator. Residential bills for average customers would increase by about $49 per year for 2025-26, the regulator said earlier this month. At the moment, Aurora Energy is the only retailer required to offer standard retail contracts. "These regulated prices provide a safety net for small customers," the regulator said in its final report. "Standing offer prices are particularly important in Tasmania, with approximately 91 per cent of all Tasmanian small customers on a regulated tariff with Aurora Energy as at 31 December 2024." The rest of Queensland While the south-east corner of Queensland is covered by the AER, the rest of the sunshine state is covered by the The Queensland Competition Authority QCA. The CQA's final determination isn't out yet, but we have looked at its draft determination published in March. At the time, it said typical customers on the main residential tariff (tariff 11) could expect to pay about an extra $100annually in the coming financial year. Victoria Victoria's energy regulator the Essential Services Commission (ESC) has a similar cap, called the Victorian Default Offer. It was also published on Monday. The ESC said the statewide annual average increase would be $20. However, here's a breakdown according to the five distribution zones: AusNet: Increase by $6 Increase by $6 CitiPower: Increase by $90 Increase by $90 Jemena: Decrease by $26 Decrease by $26 Powercor: Increase by $4 Increase by $4 United Energy: Increase by $25 Western Australia The West Australian government determines household prices each year when handing down the state budget. This year, that won't happen until June 19. How can I get a better deal? For people in areas with multiple power companies, the general advice is to see what prices other companies are offering. If you find a price that's cheaper than what you're paying, ask the company you're currently with if they'll match this price. Then consider whether you'll stay with the company you're already with, or go with another company. But not everyone can choose their energy providers —here's more from ABC's climate reporting team on that: Posted 11m ago 11 minutes ago Tue 27 May 2025 at 2:32am
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Alberta Energy Regulator penalizes Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. for contraventions
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 27, 2025, 00:00 IST CALGARY, AB, May 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has issued an administrative penalty to Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. for contravening the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. A copy of the decision is on the AER's Compliance Dashboard. Following an investigation by the AER, it was determined that between May 11, 2022, and August 8, 2022, at Tamarack's facilities near Jarvie, Alta., Tamarack contravened section 12.030(2) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. The company failed to keep original recordings of production measurements, which are essential to verify production data and for accurate volumetric reporting. Consequently, a $25 500 administrative penalty was imposed on Tamarack. An administrative penalty is one of many compliance and enforcement tools the AER can use when companies do not comply with the regulatory requirements. For more information on the AER's investigation enforcement processes, please see the Investigations webpage on About the Alberta Energy Regulator The AER provides for the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources in Alberta through our regulatory activities. For more information visit Contact Email: [email protected] | Media line: 1-855-474-6356 Connect with AER X | LinkedIn| Facebook Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alberta Energy Regulator penalizes Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. for contraventions
CALGARY, AB, May 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has issued an administrative penalty to Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. for contravening the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. A copy of the decision is on the AER's Compliance Dashboard. Following an investigation by the AER, it was determined that between May 11, 2022, and August 8, 2022, at Tamarack's facilities near Jarvie, Alta., Tamarack contravened section 12.030(2) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. The company failed to keep original recordings of production measurements, which are essential to verify production data and for accurate volumetric reporting. Consequently, a $25 500 administrative penalty was imposed on Tamarack. An administrative penalty is one of many compliance and enforcement tools the AER can use when companies do not comply with the regulatory requirements. For more information on the AER's investigation enforcement processes, please see the Investigations webpage on the Alberta Energy Regulator The AER provides for the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources in Alberta through our regulatory activities. For more information visit Contact Email: media@ | Media line: 1-855-474-6356 Connect with AER X | LinkedIn| Facebook CONTACT: AER Media Alberta Energy Regulator 1-855-297-474-6356 media@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
